The five Cevenini brothers all played top class football, their collective careers spanning the years 1907- 1939, winning 8 league titles between them.

Cevenini I: Aldo- combined 200 games with Milan and Internazionale. Won 2 national championships, represented Italy 11 times (including the first international in 1910), scoring 3 goals.

Cevenini II:Mario- a defender who represented both Milan giants and won 2 league titles.

Cevenini III:Luigi -played for Internazionale 190 times in 3 spells and scored 156 goals, winning the Italian Prima Divisione title in 1920. He also represented Novese and Juventus. For Italy he scored 11 goals in 29 matches between 1915 and 1929, was captain on 7 occasions, and a Central European International Cup winner.

Cevenini IV: Cesare - a defender, he won the Prima Divisione with Inter in 1919-20.

Cevenini V: Carlo- enjoyed success at Milan, Internazonale, Lazio and Novese, where he won the title in 1921-22.

Aldo, Mario Luigi and Carlo all featuered in Novese's championship success of 1921-22.

The idol of the people a gentleman who spends his Saturday afternoons endeavoring to kick a leather ball into a net. If he is successful in his efforts the eighty thousand or so who look on are seen to assume a pleased expression.The game might be made more exciting if all the players kicked in the same direction , as more goals would be scored, and , after all, goals are what the spectators want. The greatest names in history are those of napoleon, Gladstone and Jimmy Quinn- these three, and the greatest of these is Jimmy Quinn. If you don't believe me ask anybody in Parkhead. Jimmy Quinn played 331 first team matches for Celtic (1900-15), scoring 216 goals.He won 8 Scottish League titles and 5 Scottish Cup winner's medals.He represented the Scottish league 8 times (7 goals) and the Scottish national team 11 times (7 goals).

Modern day audiences might find it hard to believe that once upon a time Manchester United had to beat Millwall in the last game of the season in order to stay in Division 2.As the end of the 1934-35 season approached with 41 out of 42 rounds of matches completed Lincoln City were already down with 25 points.Notts County, in 18th, were safe on 35 points.In between were Swansea Town (33), Millwall (33) and Manchester United (32).United had conceded 85 goals, 10 more than any other team in the Division, and had lost 22 of 41 matches played. Their average home attendance was just 18,500. Manchester City were drawing crowds of 30,000 plus. And so to 05.05.1934. Swansea Town would have been relieved that their crucial match was at home, they hadn't won an away game all season. They duly defeated Plymouth Argyle 2-1 at the Vetch Field with goals from Jack Firth and Wilf Milne.Meanwhile at the Den Jackie Cape and Tom Manley gave United a 2-0 win in front of a crowd of 35,000. The Sheffield Independent described the result as one of the most remarkable successes of the day.Manley (left) opened the scoring in the 9th minute and Cape (below) added the second in the 48th. Some controversy surrounded Cape's goal as there were suspicions of offside.

In 1904 the 2 Villa Crespo clubs Mártires de Chicago and Sol de la Victoria underwent a merger to form Asociación Atlética y Futbolística Argentinos Unidos de Villa Crespo.This name was soon shortened to Asociación Atlética Argentinos Juniors.Mártires de Chicago were originally named in honour of the Anarchists behind the 1886 Haymarket Riot in Chicago.

Ars et labor, incorporating Musica e Musicisti(1906-1912) was an Italian illustrated arts magazine from the Stile Liberty period.I initially thought 'Genoa Cricket and Football Club' when I saw this handsome fellow, but the colours are reversed.Maybe just some random guy?

Arthur Grimsdell made his debut for Tottenham Hotspur in April 1912.His career was interrupted by the 1914-18 war.He had been touted as an England international as early as 1913, and played in 2 Victory Internationals in 1919, but his full international debut was delayed until 1920. He represented England 6 times, captaining on 3 occasions.The picture shows The Prince of Wales, later King Edward VIII, meeting Arthur Grimsdell prior to the match between Spurs and Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on 16th October 1920. Spurs won 4-0. Earlier that month Spurs had beaten Chelsea 5-0 at White Hart Lane.Grimsdell was back at the Bridge the following March, meeting King George V and the Duke of York as Tottenham won the FA Cup.

Netherlands played their first international fixture in 1905. Prior to this All Netherlands select teams had played against foreign clubs and selections. Examples of English opponents include Maidstone Church Institute Wanderers (1894), Felixstowe (1894) , English Wanderers (1896-1899) and London Caledonians (1905).The team pictured above faced the German side Berliner F.C. Preussen on 30th December 1900.The Netherlands won 5-1.Headwear seems to have been de rigueur and the man standing on the far left seems to also be wearing spectacles.The line up:Cramer (Ajax Leiden), Mundt (HVV), Van der Linde (RAP), Carli (HBS), Hartog (RAP), De Stoppelaar (Ajax Leiden), Jongheer Meyer (HBS), Hesselink (Vitesse), Sol (HVV), Offers (Victoria Wageningen) & Goedvriend (Vitesse).

The England XI for this match was made up of 10 professionals and 1 amateur. These men illustrate the social gulfs that were bridged by the game in Victorian Britain.

Player 'a' is Raby Howell, of Liverpool. Howell was a Sheffield born Romany Gypsy.Player 'b' is Gilbert Oswald Smith. Smith was a Charterhouse pupil and went on to Oxford University. After graduating he played for Corinthians and Old Carthusians. He won 20 caps and scored 11 international goals in the period 1894 to 1901. This was the deciding match in the British Home Championships. In their games against Wales and Ireland Scotland had scored 15 goals and England 17! England ran out winners at Aston lower Grounds. G.O Smith's 20 yard lob went in off the post after 25 minutes and Settle had an easy finish after a good cross from Athersmith 5 minutes before the break. Hamilton pulled one back in the 52nd minute after a scrimmage had floored Jack Robinson.

The English Schools' Football Association was founded in 1904 , the idea having been proposed at that year's conference of The National Union of Teachers.The first schools international fixture was played between England and Wales at Walsall in 1907.Of the 22 boys who took part 8 went on to play in The Football League. There were 2 future FA Cup winners in the Wales team, both of whom went on to represent Wales at senior level.The lads were born in 1893-95.

England:

W Hayne

Manchester

E Tompkins

Rushden

A Cornell

Nottingham

H Sherwin

Walsall

Sunderland, Leeds United & Barnsley

R Musgrove

Sunderland

Barnsley, Leeds United & Durham City

L Grant

Reading

Reading

A Denyer

West ham

West Ham (Southern League) Swindon Town

E Hodgkinson

Sheffield

J Lawton

Derby

Nottingham Forest

WC Lockett

Dudley

Wolverhampton Wanderers, Northampton Town

E Taylor

Newcastle

Wales:

T. Williams

Wrexham

W. Farmer

Barry

W. Jennings

Barry

Bolton Wanderers (FA Cup winner 1923) 11 Wales caps

P. Jeans

Cardiff

S. Hughes

Wrexham

J. Fearby

Cardiff

W. Woodhall

Wrexham

E. Parr

Cardiff

J. Pryde

Wrexham

W. Saunders

Barry

F. Keenor

Cardiff

Cardiff City (FA Cup winner 1927), Crewe Alexandra 32 Wales caps

The England Team

England won 3-1.It was another 4 years before England played their first game against Scotland, in Newcastle.

Whereas nowadays we debate the use of video technology to assist referees the concern in the 1930s was that referees could not keep up with the pace of the modern game. At this time Stanley Rous, inspired by continental referees such as John Langenus, introduced the diagonal method. This now universally adopted system maximized collaboration between the referee and linesmen.

Olphert Stanfield was the most capped international footballer in the 19th century, becoming the first man to each 20 caps (24.02.94) and 30 caps (27.03.97).He made his debut at 17.

He scored 11 international goals, an Irish record that stood until 1926.

Ireland's record in the 30 matches in which Stanfield played:

W

D

L

F

A

4

3

23

43

137

Stanfield played his club football for Distillery. Stanfield played 181 competitive games for Distillery, scoring 178 goals. He also played in 115 friendlies, (62 goals).In the 1888-89 season he scored hat-tricks in four consecutive games.His domestic honours were:

Played at Cathkin Park 15.03.84.This was the inaugural season of the British Home Championship and the Scotland England clash was always likely to be the decider. This was the 13th meeting between the 2 sides. Scotland had won 8 of the previous 12 matches and England had not beaten them since 1879.For the first time in international football admission was by ticket only.Dr John Smith scored the only goal of the game in the 8th minute to give Scotland a 1-0 victory.The illustration shows 'A Bailey' but it is in fact Norman Coles Bailey, while E.C Bambridge Swift is E.C Bambridge of the club The Swifts. Francis Marindin , here acting as Umpire for England was so well known as to be recognizable only by the title The Major. The contrast in stature between the illustrated English and Scotch (sic) players is worthy of note. The era of the gentleman amateur was drawing to a close, but the England approach was still largely based on the muscular public schools approach whereas Scottish football was more tactically refined.

Estadio Centenario, Montevideo.A super stadium purpose built for the 1930 FIFA World Cup.The stands commemorated the triumphs of Uruguay's Golden Decade (Amsterdam, Colombes, Olympic).Originally the plan was to hold all 18 matches at Estadio Centenario, but in the event games were also played at Estadio Gran Parque Central and Estadio Pocitos. Centenario hosted 10 games, which yielded 44 goals.The stadium was capable of accommodating 90,000 spectators. The official attendance for the final was 68,346, 11,500 less than attended the semi final of Uruguay vs Yugoslavia.The diagram has the pitch divided into squares as a means of helping radio listeners keep track of where the action was (a system pioneered by BBC commentators).

The Pilgrims, a selection of amateur invitees, made 2 tours to North America in the 1900s.

1905The 1905 tour was financed by C. H. Murray, an American 'gentleman'. In addition to the players and Mr Murray other travelers were Baron Von Reiffenstein (who was the backer of the amateur Southern League outfit Southern United), Mr.J. J. Bentley (President of the Football League, Vice-President of the Football Association), and Lady Kirkpatrick.Sir Charles Kirkpatrick was a middle distance runner pressed into service as a goalkeeper.Fred Milnes was captain.Milnes and Woodward were due to meet President Roosevelt, who advocated Association football over the American game, but sadly the meeting never took place.The object of the 1905 Tour was to promote Association Football, and this was met with some opposition by College authorities who had embraced the dreadful hybrid collision sport that passed for 'football' in North America. Sir Charles vehemently and diplomatically denied that they wanted to displace the native code.Sir Ernest Cochrane donated a trophy to be contested by American colleges, and the match between The Pilgrims and New York was played for the Cochrane Cup.There are references to some games being played under ‘Canadian Rules’ which may be a euphemism for rough play. The Canadian game allowed players to be 'checked' or charged when they were nowhere near the ball.The intention was to play some cricket, but I can find no reference to this happening.

The 1909 tour was at the invitation of the American International Soccer Football Association.From 1906 onwards England fielded an amateur international team. The touring party included 9 amateur internationals and 2 Scottish internationals. The game at Cincinnati was played under floodlights.The tourists suffered 2 major injuries, Fitchie broke his ankle in the game versus Cricketers and Eastwood seriously damaged an eye against All Westerns.

01.11.06- Parc des Princes, Paris. France's 5th international match and the first appearance of the England Amateur international side.The English romped home by 15-0. Vivian Woodward deliberately missed a penalty at 10-0 as he thought the referee had been harsh in a handball decision.